Bolton Wanderers came into the 2024-25 season on the back of a summer that began with a bitter disappointment. After being tipped for automatic promotion at the beginning of 2023-24, poor form post-January would see the Trotters fall just five points short of the top two. A play-off run would follow but despite downing some demons in a semi-final repeat with Barnsley, Wanderers would be a no-show in the final, losing 2-0 to Oxford United.
As manager Ian Evatt questioned his future at the club, owner Sharon Brittan vowed to back the manager, offering a strong transfer budget, in the hope that a strong summer would see Bolton go one better.
The first name through the door was goalkeeper Luke Southwood, brought in to push current starter Nathan Baxter and offer a better deputy, with Baxterâs injuries being a problem in the season prior.
Chris Forino joined from Wycombe Wanderers, bringing a profile akin to fellow defender Ricardo Santos, wing-backs Jordi Osei-Tutu and Hungary international Szabolcs Schon were next.
Attacking midfielder Klaidi Lolos joined after a promotion winning season with Crawley Town alongside Jay Matete on-loan from Sunderland, a player the club had courted for some time. To fill the experience void left by the departing Cameron Jerome, then 35-year-old Scott Arfield joined the club.
The biggest signing of the window came towards the end as the Trotters paid close to seven-figures for forward John McAtee, the attacker had previously come up against the club in the play-offs and had immediately gained admirers.
Wanderers began the season away at Leyton Orient, picking up where they left off in the regular season. A 2-1 win, with Schon, Arfield, McAtee, Osei-Tutu, Mateta and Lolos all making debuts.
This is where the positives would end for Bolton. A 0-0 draw with Hollywood favourites Wrexham followed in the sides first home game before a 2-0 defeat at Charlton Athletic where the cracks began to show.
Aaron Morley would be loaned out to Wycombe Wanderers, Dan Nlundulu would head to Cambridge United and Jack Iredale joined Hibernian as the window shut.
Despite a 2-0 League Cup victory over Shrewsbury Town, the poor league form continued with a humiliating 4-0 home loss to promotion rivals Huddersfield Town being a trigger point.
As some fans called for change, rumours of Evatt offering his resignation circulated. Non the less, the club stuck to their manager, with a new trialled formation being binned in favour of a system that worked for the team in the first half of last season.
Bolton would win four of their next five league games heading into a showdown with table-toppers Birmingham City. A big criticism of Evattâs management has been the teamâs inability to get results from big games. Evattâs Wandererâs have failed to beat local rivals Wigan Athletic, alongside losing games to now-Championship teams, Portsmouth and Derby County. Two results in any of those games, would have see the Trotters finish in the automatic promotion places.
Unfortunately, it was deja vu once again. Wanderers failed to land a scratch on Birmingham, losing 2-0 thanks to bookend goals from Tomoki Iwata and Jay Stansfield.
Wanderers would calm the alarm bells slightly with back-to-back wins over Peterborough United and Stevenage, but the rumblings of discontent were continuing to grow.
A second opportunity to win a big game approached, as Bolton headed to the short distance to Stockport County. At the time Bolton and Stockport were in the top six. Never a better time to shut down the doubters, but some things donât change.
Bolton were run off the park 5-0 and calls for a change were as loud as ever. There was never any sugar coating that day at Edgley Park, a completely horrific performance from the boys in white.
Despite the large defeat, Wanderers remained in a good league position and so, the board stuck to their guns with manager Evatt.
The following league game, Bolton faced another local rival in Blackpool. In a different outcome, Wanderers would take three points thanks to a last gasp Aaron Collins goal. A positive but a matchup with Wigan loomed, a true test of whether Evatt can really be the person to lead the Trotters to the next level.
After a 1-1 draw to lowly Cambridge United and a win over Mansfield, derby day arrived. A win would have cemented Bolton in the top six and seen them catch ground on the leading pack, a loss could make it very hard to keep up as the season headed into the festive period.
Unfortunately, I donât think I even need to explain how this game went as the narrative just has not changed. A 2-0 loss where Bolton, once again, fall to reach the standards needed in a big game. The outward calls were loud and clear this time.
As expected, Wanderers would go without a win until the final game of 2024, beating Lincoln City 3-0.
As the transfer window opened in January, the toxicity levels around the club had reached a serious height. Brittan stated the club would continue to back Evatt in the sides quest for promotion, alongside promising even more funds for the January window.
The month opened with a 2-1 loss to Mansfield, before the team recalled Aaron Morley from Wycombe who had been playing the best football of his career.
Morley would be straight into the side, scoring the winner against Exeter City, ironically, he had done the exact same a week previously for Wycombe.
The midfielder could not keep the good fortune going as Bolton suffered a horror 3-1 loss to Rotherham United before drawing 2-2 with Cambridge United.
Prior to the Rotherham game, the Bolton board took a gamble, spending over seven-figures on attacking midfielder Joel Randall, a player Evatt had been after in the summer. At the same time, the club decided to let top-scorer Dion Charles leave for Huddersfield Town, a decision that divided fans.
Randall was selected to start against Charlton Athletic, scoring the first goal in a first half where Bolton looked close to their old selves. Despite a strong first-half the script reverted to type. Nathan Jonesâs Charlton would score two goals in fifteen minutes to put the final nail in Evattâs tenure in the Northwest.
After the game the news was announced, Evatt left the club after five and a half years, an EFL Trophy, a promotion from League Two and two play-off runs, finishing in a higher position every year but ultimately failing at the final hurdle.
As the search began for a successor, Bolton fan and former player, Julian Darby was promoted from the U18âs to take interim charge of the first team.
Darbyâs first job was to set the team up to get past Huddersfield Town who at the time were on a strong unbeaten run.
Buoyed by the words of a Wanderers native, the Trotters put on a strong defensive performance to beat the Terriers 1-0. Darby would celebrate by bringing his grandson in front of a sold out away end, something that would be a standout moment of the season. Maybe that Wembley cloud is beginning to lift?
Darbyâs Bolton would continue winning ways, beating Kevin Nolan managed Northampton Town, 3-1.
Following the win, Wanderers announced former Plymouth Argyle and Stoke City man, Steven Schumacher as teamâs new manager.
Before Schumacher would have the chance to be in the dugout, the transfer window would come to an end. Randall Williams departed to Leyton Orient, Scott Arfield left to return to Scotland and Kion Etete joined on loan from Cardiff City, a signing orchestrated from when Evatt was still in place.
Schumacher kept Darby alongside him in the dugout for his first game against Reading. Wanderers would lose 1-0 but remained in a good position to make the play-offs or potentially push higher.
The now bossesâ plans were very much on show in first home game against Crawley. A big criticism of the former regime had been a lack of âplan Bâ and the constant reliance on a certain system.
Wanderers would begin the game with a back five, then transition into a back four as the game went on, with Schumacher showing that he would like to move forward with wing play, rather than wingbacks. As nothing is ever simple with Bolton, the side found themselves 3-1 down on 62 minutes.
Schumacher ran the changes and Wanderers scored three goals with last coming at 90+9, to win the game 4-3.
The new management were up and running. Bolton won their next two league games before holding off high flying Wrexham. Next came run away leaders Birmingham, a win here could set the Trotters up to be aiming higher than just the top six, but Wanderers donât win big games, right?
In a masterclass from start to finish, Schumacherâs new look Wanderers put on a show, after going 1-0 down the team rallied, pulling Birmingham apart to win 3-1 in a result that left fans looking up that all-important table.
Despite the result, bumps in the road came along, Bolton won just one game of their next four, with most fans justifying the results on the fact that the squad was not built by Schumacher.
For most fans, the new boss had past the majority of his tests with flying colours, what was approaching was a test that Evatt had failed multiple times. Wigan.
The game itself wasnât fantastic, a scrappy derby affair. What matters though, is Chris Forino, popping up in added time to punch the ball home and give Bolton their first win over the Latics in ten years. Test passed.
Wandererâs fans were once again looking up the table, but this is where the positives and the season really ends for the club.
Bolton would win just one more game, losing four out their last six as players dropped like flies, ultimately missing out on the play-offs.
Sporting Director Chris Markham has been replaced by Fergal Harkin, long-serving players Ricardo Santos and Gethin Jones are to leave the club alongside Nathan Baxter and Joel Coleman. Brittan has promised to back Schumacher as she did Evatt.
Bolton Wanderers 2024/25 – Personal Perspective
There is no hiding the dark cloud from that day at Wembley, it has been over this squad all season. There was daylight after Julian Darbyâs win at Huddersfield but when the pressure cranked up, the clouds returned.
From a personal perspective, I had hoped Evatt would be the person to return the club to the Championship, but we know have a manager that comes in with a track record of doing just that. Schumacher has shown he is adaptable, shown us he can deliver in big games, all the things that Evatt fell short of.
The squad itself needs work. The lack of width, combined with having zero combative players in the midfield has made it hard to manage. There really is no way of shaking the âsoftâ narrative, but now Schumacher has the summer to knock it of those who remain here for next campaign.
A failed season, no other way to look at it. I believe that Evatt deserved to be backed this summer, he had delivered year-on-year improvement and whilst Wembley was a shambles, there was no reason he could not do so again.
Should the board have backed him for as long? Maybe not but I understand why they did. Weâll never know if Schumacher could have graced this team into the play-offs with a full window but maybe thatâs a blessing in disguise.
From one era to the next, Bolton must find a way to return to where they belong, and time is of the essence.
